Streamlining Fundraising for Indian Startups: Eximius Ventures Eximius Ventures targets visionary founders in fintech, SaaS, media, gaming, and healthtech, providing up to USD 500,000 as their first institutional investment to support early-stage startups.
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Growing up in a Tier 4 town in Orissa, Pearl Agarwal, Founder and Managing Partner of Eximius Ventures, was inspired by the zeal of local entrepreneurs.
"I saw firsthand that they lacked the opportunities needed to make a significant impact. This motivated me to help these entrepreneurs access better opportunities," says Agarwal.
After a decade of investing in the US and UK, she founded Eximius in 2020 to streamline fundraising for Indian entrepreneurs. Her experience in investment banking and PE firms highlighted the power of capital to amplify founders' ambitions, driving her focus on aspiring Indian founders.
Eximius Ventures focuses on visionary founders at the pre-seed stage, targeting fintech, SaaS, online media and gaming, and healthtech.
Agarwal highlights that by providing the right cheque size, typically up to USD 500,000, Eximius aims to be the first institutional investor for these startups.
"We believe the initial 500 days of a startup's journey are the most challenging, requiring more than just capital. We prioritize authentic relationships with our portfolio founders, making quick decisions, simplifying processes, and reserving capital for follow-up rounds," she states.
"Our goal is to be more than investors, providing continuous support and fostering long-lasting relationships," she adds.
To date, the Gurugram-based platform has made 21 investments in pre-seed startups, including notable companies like Jar, Vegapay, STAN, Skydo, Eka.care, and others.
With an optimistic investment view for FY 2024–2025, the company plans to invest in 10–12 startups, focusing on fintech infrastructure for wealth, insurance, and payments; applications of Gen AI in content and entertainment; and middleware infrastructure for Gen AI.
Eximius Ventures supports startups by addressing both business and personal challenges. They helped STAN pivot and expand its market and assisted Vegapay with fundraising and initial hires, driving their growth.
"We helped them gain exposure on various public forums, refine their investor story, and connect with Indian and global VCs for their next fundraising round. These efforts significantly contributed to their growth," she shares.
States:
- Portfolio size: 21
- Average ticket size/sweet spot: Up to USD 500K
- Total number of exits: 1
- Total assets under management: ~USD 10 Mn
